Zelensky 'not prepared' to talk to Russia unless troops withdraw
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he is "not prepared" to have talks with Russia unless Moscow withdraws its troops from Ukraine. "The United States knows that I am not prepared to talk to terrorists because their word is worth nothing," Zelensky told NBC on Sunday.
Zelensky was responding to reports that US and European officials had spoken to the Ukrainian government about negotiations to end the war with Russia. A senior Ukrainian commander also said this week that the two armies were locked in a war of attrition.
"Right now, I have no relationship with the Russians, and they know my position," Zelensky said. He added that the Russians "must leave our territory, and only then will the world be able to take diplomatic steps". The conflict is in a "difficult situation" but not in a stalemate, Zelensky added.
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